Grants for Women of Color Business Owners [2019]

There's plenty of data that shows black women are the most resourceful and entrepreneurial of all demographics in the U.S. Still, only 0.2% of black women business owners receive venture capital funding. Funding shouldn’t be the reason you sacrifice your business idea. We’ve put together a list of grants that are designed specifically for women business owners.

Get your notepad and get these grants, sis! This list will keep growing with your help. Know a grant program that changed you life or is super beneficial? Send the link to info@miocoa.com.

1. Amber Grant

Deadline: September 30, 2019
Amount: $2,000

The Amber Grant is a small business grant for women in honor of a young woman named Amber who lost her life before fulfilling her dreams of being an entrepreneur. No business dream is too big or too small. Past Amber Grant recipients have included everything from scientific inventors to bakers.

2. Ideacafe grant

Deadline: February 9, 2020
Amount: $1,000

Business Owners’ IdeaCafe awards grants to small business owners and pre-entrepreneur startups. In order to apply, you must be a creative entrepreneur and willing to submit a 2-minute video and standard application.

3. GirlBoss Foundation Grant

Deadline: N/A
Amount: $15,000

The Girlboss Foundation awards one grant biannually to female entrepreneurs pursuing creative endeavors in design, fashion, music, and the arts. Each grant beneficary will receive project funding of $15,000, in addition to exposure through the Girlboss platform and community.

4. Cartier Women’s initiative

Deadline: Applications closed for 2019
Amount: $30,000-$100,000 + mentoring

The Cartier Women’s Initiative is looking for committed women entrepreneurs heading businessess with the potential to grow significantly in the years to come. It is a unique opportunity for them to take their companies to the next level. Winners receive funding, mentorship and media visibility.

5. Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant Program

Deadline: N/A
Amount: Awards ten $10,000 grants

Eileen Fisher has a number of grants that support women-owned businesses in their business journey. Organizations in environmental justice, community relations and social impact should apply for this grant.

6. The national Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grants

Deadline: Rolling basis
Amount: $4,000

The National Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grants (NASE) is looking to support entrepreneurs and their businesses with up to $4,000 each. Past recipients used their growth grants for computers, farm equipment, to hire part-time help, marketing materials, website creation and more.

7. Fedex opportunity small business grant

Deadline: N/A
Amount: One $25,000, $15,000, and eight $7,500 grants

The FedEx Small Business grant contest awards 10 small business winners. It’s open to U.S.-based for-profit small businesses that have fewer than 99 employees and have been in operation selling a product or service for not less than six (6) months at the start of the contest.

8. Dare to Dream Grant Program

Deadline: Every September and January
Amount: Up to $10,000 alongside business development seminars

The Dare to Dream Grant Program encourages students to move through the business creation process by offering business development seminars and up to $10,000 in funding.

9. 500 Women Seed Accelerator Program

Deadline: Rolling basis
Amount: Varies

The 500 Women SEED Accelerator Program is a great 4-month program to jumpstart your business. This program does more than just funding startups put always provides a space, community, mentorship, and investment among other helpful tools for women business owners.

10. 37 Angels

Deadline: November 4, 2019
Amount: Varies

With 37 Angels, you will be given the opportunity to pitch your business to investors that will not only invest in your company, but invest in you as the business owner. Looking to showcase your pitch skills? Do so here.

11. Female Founders Fund

Deadline: Rolling basis
Amount: Varies

The Female Founder Fund is unique in that it seeks to invest in exceptional women that are early into their business journey. This grant is for women-led startups that have incredible impact in e-commerce, web-enabled products and services, marketplaces, and platforms.

12. Belle Capital USA

Deadline: Rolling basis
Amount: Varies

BELLE Capital is an early stage angel fund focused on building great companies in underserved capital markets. They look for companies with a unique product or service filling an urgent market need in digital/mobile/internet (IT), life sciences/medical devices/health IT (Digital Health), and CleanTech market sectors.

13. National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Scale-up Pitch Challenge

Deadline: Applications closed for 2019
Amount: $50,000 1st place winner

NBMBAA recently launched their scale-up pitch in partnership with Google and Georgia Tech, to help build up the wealth and character of entrepreneurs. The annual competition connects early stage entrepreneurs with investors and venture capitalists ready to invest in their big idea.

14. New Voices Fund

Deadline: Rolling basis
Amount: Varies

New Voices is a global ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors and partners who are committed to driving transformative growth in our communities for generations to come. The New Voices Fund Foundation offers resources and tools beyond a capital investment to develop entrepreneurs.

15. The Women Founder Network Fast Pitch

Deadline: Applications closed for 2019
Amount: Varies

Each year Women Founders Network creates a unique opportunity for Female Founders ready to pitch. They allow 10 women entrepreneurs to become pitch-ready in a way that sharpens their plans to scale their companies and makes their business more appealing to Angel and VC investors.

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Do you know a grant program that didn’t make this list? Send us an email at info@miocoa.com.